tsuba I Know Nothing : The School, The Design, The Age.....

[Kurikata]

Hi Tosogu experts,

 

I purchased a Tsuba today without knowing nothing....

 

Metal : iron with a copper insert at one hitsu ana level.

Size: 82 mm X 80 mm

 

What is the design of the two large hitsu ana (Baskets?)

 

It looks quite old but is to really beginning of Edo ?

 

What is the reason for the copper insert ? Is it part of the design?

 

All views on this Tsuba are warmly welcome.

 

Thank you

 

 

[Ian]

I think your baskets are jigami fans

A similar design is here http://www.tetsugendo.com/    T-137 Hayashi Shigemitsu Tsuba

[Thierry BERNARD]

some similarities in the workmanship with one I sell and which is papered as myochin (Tsuba 10)

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/19291-11-new-tsuba-for-sale/

[Kurikata]

Thank you Ian and "merci" Thierry

 

After seaching in books and on some web sites, I have no better clues than yours. So let's drive this tsuba has being in the Myochin school spirit with Jiagami (地紙) design.

 

Cheers

[SalaMarcos]

This topic tittle reminds me John Snow

 

By the way, the design is called for some specialist a momo sukashi (peach), and for others, a efugo sukashi (wickerwork).

 

This seems a tôshô tsuba style.. but I'm not sure. I found some similar one but better quality of Surface and design on the circle of the master Umetada Tadatsune, about mid Edo Period. Maybe yours is form first years of XVII century? I don't know for sure.

[Kurikata]

Thank you "SalaMarcos" for your interest.

 

Nevertheless, sorry to desagree on your assessment.

 

Efugo being " basket" in Japanese, as the design apparently looks much more as a fan (jigami) I doubt it can be described as efugo sukashi.....

 

Having the tsuba in hands, I can garantee it is not "tosho" as the mimi is not as thin a tosho tsuba should be....

 

Thank you again....

[rkg]

I would have guessed saotome work

 

rkg

(Richard George)

[Kurikata]

Hi Richard,

 

that's a good possibility camparing rough iron style of some saotome tsuba. I take this scenario as a potential school.

 

thanks again.